Conveyer and door construction



May 1, 1928.

1,667,738 A. s. NICHOLS CONVEYER AND DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 2l, 1924 s Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY May 1, 1928. 1,667,738

A. S. NICHOLS CONVEYER AND DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 21, 1924 s Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY A. s. NICHOLS CONVEYER AND DOOR CONSTRUCTION May 1, 1928.

Filed Feb. 21, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 ATTORNEY Patented May 1 1928. 'j

PATENT OFFICE AARON S. NICHOLS, NEW YORK, N. Y.

coNvEYER Ann noon CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed February 21, 1924. Serial No. 694,309.

My invention relates to improvements in an organization of conveyers and doors through which the conveyer or conveyers pass. My invention isintended to provide means whereby a conveyer can pass from one room to another, operate the doors to permit'passage of the conveyerthrough, and

providing for the quickclo'sure of the doors as each conveying element passes through the door, thus preventing the atmosphere-v from one room from passing'to any appreciable extent into the next. This is desirable for many reasons. Frequently work is conveyed from one room where workmen are engaged' uponit into another room, which may, for instance, be a drying room, and in which the atmospheric conditions may be entirely different'a'nd the temperature much higher. It is obviously desirable to save expense by preventing the outrush of heated air, and further, it is desirable to prevent unnecessary changing of atmospheric conditions. As an example Ihave shown in the accompanying"drawings an application of my invention to a plant in which vehicle bodies, such as automobile bodies,are carried by a conveyer from-one room to the other, the first being the room where work is done on the bodies, and'the second a dry room. The mechanism is organized'so that as the conveyers carry the bodies from one room to the other, the doors are automatically opened and closed, and the bodies and parts of the conveyer passing through the doors, are speeded up so as to close the opening as quickly as possible."

In an accompanying application filed simultaneously herewith, Serial No. 694:,308 I have shown a conveyer operated by a plunger, and in which the back stroke of the plunger separates the c'arrying'elements of the conveyer as they pass through the door, thus permitting the quick closure of the door. In the present instance, my invention is similar to that described in the other applica'-.

tion, but the carrying elements of the conveyer which are independently movable, are 'speeded up through the door by'afmovement imparted from the conveyer actuating mechanism, while the latter is moving for ward, the difference in speedbeing by a differential connectiondescribed. It will be evident from the description which follows that the inventionis not limitedto the particular form of conveyer described,lor to buts owing-the auxiliary rail engaged any precise, form of conveyer, so long as the carrying elements ofithe conveyer, or

separable parts of the conveyer, can be moved lndependently and at a different speed through the doors to facilitate the operation of the latter; This will appear more clearly from the description which follows. 7 Reference is to be had'to'the accompanymg drawings forming a part of this specificat on, in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all, the views. F gure 1 is a diagrammatic plan partly in sect on showing my invention-with the forward carrying elements of the conveyer about to open the doors between adjacent rooms. Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure 1, but showing a carrying element separated from the ones following and in the act of passing through a door; i igure 3 is a similar View-butshowing the position of a carrying element after it has passed thedoor and the latter is closed-.-

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the apparatus as a carrying element is passing through a door."

Figure 5 is an end view partly in section showing'an element of the conveyer passing through the .doo-rQ; r f Figurefi is a detail sectional view showing how the main andauxiliary rails or plunge ers 'canbe mounted. 5 5 Figure 7 is a detail sectionflshowing the general scheme of mounting the main rail. Figure 8 is a broken enlarged detail plan of the invention showing the means for accelerating the speedof a carrying element, and showing the latter about to contactwith the door to open it. I r ,Figure Q-is a detail section'showing' the means of advancing a carrying element with the 'main rail atfthe forward limit of its stroke and the auxiliary rail in position to engage and carry forward the conveyer element released byrthe main rail. Fi ure 10-is afview, similar to Figure9 to a carrying elementto move itvforward.

,Figure ll is a view similar to Figures 9 and 10; but showing the action of one of the act'uating dogs asit passes beneathits Figure 12 is a similar view-showing'l the engaging catch on the" backstroke "of the .mam rail, and

normal position of the engaging dog of the main rail as it is about to contact wlth the catch of the conveyer element.

To illustrate the use of my invention 1 have shown it in connection with a conveyer system operating between a work room fA and a dry room B, and without any idea of restricting the invention to this arrangement or to the precise form of conveyer lllustrated. The conveyer in itself is similar to one of known construction used for the purpose indicated, and each conveyer, as shown, comprises a reciprocating mam plunger or rail 10 which is actuated by mechanism 11 not shown, and which moves the platforms or trucks 12, each being a carrying element of the conveyor, and each being suitably mounted to render it easily movable.

As shown each platform or truck 12 has wheels 13 on which it runs, and in the illustration given, each is adapted to carry a car body 1 1. In operation a stroke of the rail 10 is of the length of one of the elements or platforms 12. The actuating rail 10 is suitably mounted, and can be supported on rollers 15 (see Figure 7) these being journaled in a suitable support 16.

As a means of imparting the step by step movement to the conveying elements 12, each of the latter has on the under side a transverse member 1 7 usually. in the form of an angleiron, which is engaged by the dog 18 on the rail 10. The dog, is pivoted as shown at 19, and has an extended tail piece 20 heavy enough to cause it'to normally lie in position to engage the member 17, and it lies on the web of the rail 10 so thatwhen the latter is pushed forward, the dog will engage the member 17 and carry the platform or element 12 with it, while on the return strolre of the plunger or rail 10', the back of the dog will strike the member 17 and tilt up the dog, as shown in Figure 11, permitting it to pass the engaging member 17.

Uusually the conveyers are arranged in parallel relation as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 as a whole, but more or less conveyers can be used, and each is arranged to pass through a door which is preferably in the ,f orm of two members 21, which are self closing,an d which have triangular abutments 22 (see Figures 1 and 8) arranged so thatwhen the doors are closed the inner faces thereof will be parallel with the partitionseparating the rooms and B, and in a plane to;' be struck by the advancing platform 12; and as the platform or element moves forward, the abutment 22 rides along the edge of the platform, and the doors are preferably self closingso that they close immediately behind the platform 12- which is separated from the following platforms, and advanced a't'a higher rate of speed through the door, as illustrated inv Figure 2. To render the doors self-closing, spring elements such as shown at 21 may be used but the invention is not restricted to the use of spring elements, as obviously other means might be provided withinxthe scope of the present invention which would accomplish the same result.

The mezriis illustrated for individually actuating the elements or platforms 12 is an auxiliary rail, 23 which moves parallel with the rail 10, and is arranged near and preferably a little behind the doorway, moving in unison with the rail 10 but a higher rate of speed. The auxiliary rail can be mounted on rollerslt as shown in Figure G'. j I

As a. means of imparting the desired and more rapid reciprocation of the auxiliary rail, the main rail I0 is provided with a cable 25 which connects with" the? main rail by means of a bracket 24 ortlreli lre, and this cable 28, this being wound around the'drum I 27 and comiectin'g with the auxiliary rail 23 by a braeketaa (see Figures), andit also'eXtends' in the opposite direction and is s1m1larly attached at another place to the auxiliary rail. Thus it will beseen that'as the rail 10 moves backward and forward, it will rotate the members 26 and 27, and the latter by reason of its larger size, Wi'llihi' part a much faster movement to the au'XiL iary r'ail'23, any desired increase of speed within reasonable limits bein -possible, and t is arranged also so as to give ample movement to the auxiliary rail, so that when the rail moves backward it will passwellbehind the member 17 of a platform 12, as shown in Figure 9, so as to be sure to make: engagement with said member 17130 advance the platform or truck through the door; The members 26 and 27 are supported on a suitable pedestal 30 and while thisdifferent'ial arrangement shown forms 'aiconvenient means ofmal'r'ing an operative connectionbetween'the main rail 10 and a platform 12, the invention is not limited tot-hismeans, as obviously otl'ierinechanical devices might be substituted with the same effect. As shown, however, it will be seen that'when the conveyor is advanced to the position indicated in Figure where the dog 1810f the main rail I0 is about to le veits engagement with the member 17 of the frontplat' 'formor element 12, the similar do l8'wlii'ch is attachedto the auxiliary rail Win a At this point the auxiliary rai'l willstai t ill) its forward stroke, movingmuehfasterthan the "main rail, so that'the auxiliary rail carries the element 12- through the door, opening the two members of the door as indicated in Figure 2, and permittingthe mem- Ill) ' carry ber 17 to slide over the dog 18 o-fthe main rail as shown in Figure 11. Thus the forward movement of the two rails will cause the auxiliary rail, because of its speed, to quickly pass the forward element through the-door to the position shown in Figure 3, thus permitting the door to close quickly as there is'no interference with it, and so the door is open for a. comparatively brief time, and the atmospheric conditions of the ad joining rooms are not seriously changed.

From the description given it will be evident that the form and construction of the conveyer may be changed to adapt it to different purposes, and the doors and operating mechanism may be changed considerably without departing from the principle of my invention.

I c1a1m '1. A conveyer having spaced ,carrylng elements, asliding rail to move said elements,

a door through which the conveyer-passes, and a1 speeding-up driving connection between the rail and the carrying elements to said elements quickly through the door.

2. A conveyer having spaced carrying elements, a reciprocating rail to move the elements, a door through which the conveyer passes, a reciprocating auxiliary rail adapted to connect with the carrying element-s, and a differential driving connection between the main rail and the auxiliary rail.

3. A conveyer having spaced carrying ele ments, a door through which the conveyer passes, a reciprocating main rail releasably auxiliary rail whereby both'ra-ils reciprocatetogether but at difi'erent speeds.

5. An apparatus of the kind described comprising a. reciprocating element, carrying elements actuated by said reciprocating element, a door through which said carrying elements pass, an auxiliary reciprocating element actuated by said first mentioned reciprocating element in unison therewith but at a greater rate of speedthan said first mentioned reciprocating element and adapted to move said carrying elements through said door. 7 i I 6. Apparatus of the kind. described comprising a reciprocatin member, carrying elements actuated there y, a second reciproca ting member operated by said first named reciprocating member and arranged adjacent said first named reciprocating member for a portionof the length of the latter and reciprocatin at a different rate of speed from said rst named reciprocating member, and means on said second named reciprocating member for engaging said can rying elements whereby to advance the same I at a different rate of speed from the former speed.

v7. Apparatus of the kind described com- I prising a reciprocating. member, spaced carrying elements moved forwardly thereby, and an advancing member actuated by said reciprocating member and so arranged as to advance the carrying elements through a portion of the apparatus at an increased rate of speed. I

8. Apparatus of the class described comprising an element, a reciprocating member for moving'said element step by step, and

a second reciprocating member for independently moving said element through a portion of its travel, the second member res ciprocating in phase with the first member butrhaving a longer stroke whereby the independent movement of the element occurs at an increased rate of speed. a

In testimony whereof, I have signed name to this specification this 5th day 3 of February, 1924.

AARON, s. NICHOLS. 

